About Helene Jewell

4 fun facts that make me a great facilitator…

Fact 1: Helping people to work better together in a group gives me a real buzz.

I am an ardent fan of getting stuck into even the most contentious discussions to create clarity from the tangle, allow space for those light bulb moments and enable everyone to say what they need to. Keeping track of all the different threads of the conversation and guiding them into something more ordered and focused is a challenge I love – you’ll see when I’m facilitating that I’m in my element. We can all bring something different to the table in a group, the magic happens when you can tap into that which is what I do.

Fact 2: My facilitation career path started with a strong desire to experience something a bit different.

After qualifying as a Speech and Language Therapist over 20 years ago I decided that I needed to see what else I could do. So I went to Nepal with VSO and trained special needs teachers and Community Based Rehabilitation workers in all things communication related. In addition to the training I started facilitating workshops and meetings, to help people discuss, plan and make decisions, and then I was hooked! You might not believe it, but I hated talking in front of groups of people to start with, but as they say ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ and it was a vital part of my job that I ended up loving. I stayed in Nepal for 4 years and can still speak near fluent Nepali.

Fact 3: I am fascinated by people and the diversity they can bring to a group.

As an experienced facilitator I draw on an eclectic skill and knowledge base to bring the best out of the groups I work with. I have worked with a wide range of clients both in the UK and overseas including charities, (I)NGOs, and the private sector. Participants in my workshops come from a broad spectrum of professional backgrounds and vary in seniority from Board Chairs and Senior Project Managers to volunteer field workers, and groups of young people. The great thing about facilitation is that you can adapt it to just about anyone and creating something special to fit each client is all part of the enjoyment.

Fact 4: Work/life balance is extremely important to me.

I combine my facilitation work with parenting (which I include in my skill set as supreme organisation!), and keeping up to date with my interests which include cycling, photography, swimming, re-learning how to play the guitar, travelling and growing tasty veg in my allotment.

Over To You

That’s me. Now, I’d like to know more about you. Why don’t you send me a quick message? Tell me who you are and what problems are you having when you facilitate your own meetings and workshops and I’ll let you know how I can you help you out.